The convenience of online shopping is being compounded by concerns around password complexity, according to research.
A survey by Opinion Way on behalf of Kaspersky Lab shows 52 per cent of Europeans plan to purchase the majority of their gifts online this Christmas, yet almost half (47 per cent) think password rules on web sites are too complicated.
"There’s always a trade-off between security and convenience. With complicated password rules to adhere to and multiple login details to remember, many consumers are struggling to remember their passwords," said David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
The trend for digital shopping is particularly prevalent in the UK (66 per cent), followed closely by Germany (60 per cent), Italy (51 per cent) and Spain (50 per cent).
The French and the Dutch, 53 per cent and 51 per cent respectively, are most likely to consider password rules in a negative manner.
More than half of Europeans (55 per cent) have to reset their online passwords at least once a month and 14 per cent every week. Eight per cent need to reset their password every time they shop online.
As a result, one third of Europeans (34 per cent) believe passwords are inconvenient, despite the fact they help protect digital information.
Opinion Way conducted the research during November and a total of 3,539 European respondents were surveyed across six countries: France, UK, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Italy.
